Antique Greek ring jar

This ring jar has a fantastically beautiful epatina. A 19th-century terracotta pithari or olive pot, handmade by a potter from Koroni in the Peloponnese in southern Greece. The pot has a beautiful old patina with traces of yellow glaze around the neck and lip, circa 1800. This Greek olive oil pot has a narrow neck and a typical "orcio" cruse or round, tapered fluted body defined by rings of clay. Hundreds of years ago, before olive oil was processed, bottled and shipped for export, it was stored in jars like this one. The high shoulder and short neck helped keep the oil fresh. Classic Greek jars like this one are still used in Greek homes to store the family's olive oil. A beautiful decorative object in its own right.